The present invention relates to a network management method and a network management program for managing a network.
It is a known fact that a blade server consists of a board and a frame. The board is equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory, and storage as minimum compositions that are necessary to operate as a server machine. The board operates as a server by installing OS (Operating System) software and a server program into the storage. In addition, the board is called a server blade in general. On the other hand, the frame is equipped with a plurality of slots for which the server blades are attached, and provides each server blade with drive electric power and connection with a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network). In addition, the frame is called a blade enclosure or a chassis in general.
Within such a blade server, each server blade operates independently and the server blades form a plurality of server groups as a whole. When a server blade is constituted as a high-end machine, heat generation becomes large, which limits the number of server blades that are mounted in the frame. On the other hand, when a performance of a server blade is lower, heat generation becomes small, which can increase the number of server blades that are mounted in the frame. Since a web server does not require so high performance, a typical use of a blade server is a web server.
Incidentally, a blade server may include a plurality of server blades that have the same function in order to distribute a load by access from the outside over the respective server blades. For example, the function is a forms control function that stores the list data transmitted from a terminal on a network into a storage device, or a web server mentioned above.
In any case, when the same functions are added to the respective server blades in a blade server for distributing a load, each of the server blades is connected to a storage device or a network device such as a load balancer through a network switch such as a FC (Fiber Channel) switch and a switching hub.
Moreover, in order to prevent the communication obstacle resulting from cutting of a cable etc., a plurality of network switches are provided between a server blade and a storage device or between a server blade and a network device. Each of the network switches is a basic composition of a fabric and a plurality of fabrics are constructed as a network (SAN (Storage Area Network), LAN). In the network that consists of a plurality of fabrics, the ports of the network switches are connected with the server blades through cables so that each of the port numbers of the network switches of any fabrics correspond to each of the slot numbers in a one-to-one relationship. Moreover, since a table that defines the correspondences is used during the communication in the network, the connection definition table is generated by an administrator.
Conventional network management methods are disclosed in the following articles on the Internet. Tsuji Tetsuya. “Dounyumae ni shitte okitai jissenhen Tokushu: SAN dounyu jissenn tekunikku (Dai 3 kai) [Practical version that should be known before introduction. Special edition: SAN introduction practical technique (the third lecture).” IT Media company, Feb. 4, 2003.
<URL:http://www.atmarkit.co.jp/fnetwork/tokusyuu/18santec/03.html> Searched on Oct. 16, 2006.
Yoshioka Yu. “(Shokyu) Shitte okitai sutolegi no kiso saisyukai (zenhan) SAN no tokucho [(Entry-level) Basis of storage that should be known (First half). Feature of SAN].” Nikkei BP Company, Apr. 4, 2006.
<URL:http://itpro.nikkeibp.co.jp/article/COLUMN/2 0060328/233581/> Searched on Oct. 16, 2006.
The above-described connection definition table is generated through the following procedures. At first, an administrator connects a server blade and a management device to a network, and assigns a disk on the network to the server blade. Secondly, the administrator installs OS software and a predetermined application on the assigned disk. Thirdly, the administrator operates the application on the management device to communicate with the predetermined application installed on the server blade so that the management device grabs the information about physical connection between the server blade and the network switch. The information includes hardware addresses such as WWPN (World Wide Port Name) and MAC (Media Access Control) address, and the corresponding port numbers. Fourthly, the administrator performs these procedures for the respective slots (the respective blade servers) to that the application generates the connection definition table and stores them as a file.
Moreover, another method takes the following procedures. At first, an administrator switches on a power supply of a server blade and displays a setup of BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) on a screen to read a hardware address. Secondly, the administrator switches on the power supply of each server blade irrespective of whether the OS software has been installed or not. Then, the administrator connects a control table (control console) to a network switch and reads the port number of each port and the hardware address corresponding to the port number from the screen of the control table. Thirdly, the administrator repeats the above-mentioned second procedure for the respective slots (the respective blade servers) to deduce correspondence between a slot number and a port number. Then, the administrator generates a connection definition table manually on the management device, and stores the table as a file.
Thus, the generation of the connection definition table requires time and effort whichever method is chosen. Moreover, since the conventional methods include manual operations by the administrator, incorrect setups tend to occur.